Atop a 2300-foot mountain in 262,000 acres of forest in Potter County, Cherry Springs State Park is one of the darkest places on the East Coast. Which makes it perfect for stargazing.

On a clear night you can see 10,000 stars and their constellations. By contrast, in your backyard, you'll be lucky to see a few dozen stars ... and maybe the Big Dipper.

The villain is light pollution. It surrounds us where we live in cities and suburbs and threatens celestial wildlife like the Great Bear, the Swans and Taurus the Bull. Dark skies have become an endangered resource.

Chip Harrison, who manages the park, estimates that only about ten percent of people in the United States have ever seen a true dark sky.

"I love it when people who live in urban settings come up here and are blown away when they see the Milky Way," he said. "Or when older people come, look up, and say, 'I haven't seen that kind of sky since I was a kid.'"

On a perfectly clear and dark night here, the Milky Way can be so bright that it casts shadows.

Black shows the darkest places on in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Cherry Springs is the little black dot in the center of Area 2.

In 2008, the International Dark-Sky Association named it the first Dark Sky Park in the eastern United States and the second in the world ranked as Gold Tier.

Dark and accessible

The small 82-acre state park, 16 miles southeast of Coudersport, is bisected by Route 44; unlike many "dark spots," it's easy to get to. On the south side of the road, an Astronomy Observation Field is set up for professional and serious amateur astronomers. There are

View full sizeThe south side of the park is for professional astronomers who can rent viewing domes. Ann Witmer

three observation domes that astronomers can rent and berms to shield the field from car headlights.

Mike Snider, a member of the Astronomical Society of
Harrisburg, is a serious astronomer.
He's traveled all over the world, to places like New Zealand and the Galapagos
Islands, to see the stars.

"It's a bit of a drive up to Cherry Springs, but I think
it's the best site east of the Mississippi," he said.

The northern side of the road is where the rest of the stargazers can revel in the beauty of what they probably have never seen before.

Every Friday and Saturday night, from May into October, park staff and volunteers run free public programs to share the celestial glory.

People begin to gather around 7 p.m., Harrison said, for a solar view. "We use a solar scope and look at sunspots and such."

As night falls, attention turns to the stars ... or the moon.

Consult the Charts

Harrison advises people to consult a lunar calendar before planning a trip.

"A lot of people come to see the Milky Way and stars," Harrison said. "They need to come when the moon is dark [new] or just a sliver. If you come during a full moon, that's what you're going to see. It will be too bright to see many stars."

On those bright nights, the show still goes on, but it's all about the moon. (An events section on the park's web site lists programs for two weeks ahead.)

Weather also plays a part. If it's too cloudy or stormy you won't see anything at all. Cherry Springs' web site has a link to a nifty little Clear Sky Chart that predicts how cloudy or clear and how dark it will be at different times over the next two days.

Park programs take place in an amphitheater area with benches and concrete pads for telescopes. They begin with a quick tour of the sky by the park's education specialist wielding a laser pointer that directs light up 300 yards. Then volunteer astronomers point several telescopes to different targets and give people a look-see.

"This year we added some video eyepieces that project the telescope's image onto a computer screen," Harrison said. "That makes it easier for a group to see."

Stargazing with Stash

One of the volunteer astronomers is Stash Nawrocki. Seventeen years ago, he and his wife moved here from Philadelphia for a calmer life; he'd previously been an ER nurse in a city hospital.

With no particular interest in astronomy, he built a log home and one day looked up in the sky. He saw Jupiter and Saturn and wanted to know what they were. That Christmas, his wife bought him a telescope at Kmart and he was hooked.

Five years ago he formed a company called Crystal Spheres. He takes individuals or groups stargazing by appointment just about any night of the week. His tours last 1-1/2 hours or, he says, "as long as you want them to."

Nawrocki provides lots of handouts and some good advice:

View full sizeSky maps show the position of the stars and their constellations. Ann Witmer

"If people want to know how to get started, I tell them to get a sky map called a planisphere. If they enjoy looking at the sky with that, they might consider binoculars to get a closer look at specific things. If they still like it, then they should consider a telescope."

This meteor shower, Nawrocki explained, is the trail of debris ejected by a comet called Swift-Tuttle as it travels on its 130-year orbit. People have been watching this shower for 2000 years.

"This should be a good year for it," Harrison said. "Aug. 9-11 will be dark nights, good for viewing if the weather co-operates. We could see 60 meteors - shooting stars - an hour if we're lucky."

"That's the good news," Nawrocki said with a grin. "The bad news is that the peak time to see the largest part of the meteor shower is between 3 and 4 a.m."

The park gets about 40,000 visitors a year; attendance at park programs can range from 25 to 300.

"Just come up and enjoy the sky," Nawrocki suggests. "I find that 95 percent of the people come because they've heard about Cherry Springs and it's something different to do. They just want to come and have fun."

Sweden Valley Inn is a friendly down home place with hearty food and a bar. 11 miles north of Cherry Springs at the junction of Routes 44 and 6. Info: 814-274-7057 www.swedenvalleyinn.com.

Olga Gallery, Café and Bistro blends food, music and art in an art shop and gallery. 15 miles from Cherry Springs at 4 E. Second St. in Coudersport. Info: 814-260-9966 www.facebook.com/olgagallerycafe.

Be forewarned: From Aug. 1-4, 2013, the stars could take a back seat to crowds attending the Woodsmen Show held each year at Cherry Springs State Park.